The story of how Guns N’ Roses usurped Aerosmith
At one point, every band on the planet has been the opening act for a bigger artist. It’s a right of passage that teaches groups invaluable experience that helps them become future headliners — like the touring dates Aerosmith experienced with Guns N’ Roses, for example.
It was late 1987, and Guns N’ Roses had recently released their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, but they were not overnight stars. It took a strong 12 months for the album to climb to the top of the Billboard 200, and during their tour support with Aerosmith, they went from zero to hero. In fact, by the end of the jaunt, they were more popular than the main event and unknowingly became superstars.
The tour began in October 1987 in Binghamton and ran for 147 shows in total across America. However, when the run of dates concluded in Costa Mesa in September 1988, it could easily have been Guns N’ Roses headlining and Aerosmith acting as the support act.
During the tour, Guns N’ Roses began getting attention for ‘Sweet Child O Mine’, a song which helped propel the band’s fortunes. Each night, the crowds kept incrementally increasing until they reached the point in which the audience was visibly more excited for Guns N’ Roses than for headliners Aerosmith.
During a YouTube interview, the band’s Duff McKagan later reflected on the release of ‘Sweet Child O Mine’, and said: “By that point, we were already on tour with Aerosmith. Those seven people who showed up early turned into 30, the next night it was 300, and the next night it was 800, and by the end of a couple weeks, all 17,000 people who were there to see Aerosmith were showing up for us. The album started moving up the charts, the single went to number one, and then, the album went to number one.”
In November 1988, Guns N’ Roses’ ascent to the top of the rock ‘n’ roll pile was confirmed when they were the cover stars of Rolling Stone. However, initially, the spot was supposed to go to Aerosmith after they were followed on tour, but the true story lay with the rise of the ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ rockers. It was a bitter pill for Aerosmith to take, as they assumed the cover story was about their successful tour and rebirth following stints in rehab. Instead, the public’s attention had shifted towards the new kids on the block, Guns N’ Roses, who were an immovable force.
Of course, it was through no fault of Aerosmith’s that they were usurped by Guns N’ Roses, and it could have happened to anyone in their unfortunate position. After MTV had picked up ‘Sweet Child O Mine’, they were on an unstoppable rise that was only heading in one direction, and they were prepared to destroy anybody who stood in their way.
